Relive memorable Minor League moments from 2024
Kelsie Heneghan
@Kelsie_HeneghanTop prospects, unique uniforms, meaningful milestones. All in a year's work for Minor League Baseball.
Relive some of the most memorable moments from the year in MiLB!
Spring Breakout (woohoo!)
Before the Minor League season even began, prospects were getting a taste of the spotlight in the inaugural Spring Breakout showcase. The event saw All-Star teams of Minor Leaguers from each organization square off in Florida and Arizona during Spring Training. Each game was filled with incredible matchups, with many giving a taste of future rivalries in the Majors. The competition reached a, ~ fever pitch ~ when then-No. 1 pitching prospect Paul Skenes struck out then-No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday in an at-bat that featured three 100-plus mph offerings. And good news, the showcase is returning in 2025! More ?
Yer outta here! Kinda
We cannot condone reaching over the fence to interfere with a ball in play. But on this one occasion, crime pays. One June night in Pensacola, a kid named Sawyer was soaking in a Blue Wahoos game when Jake Thompson hit a fly ball to right field. Sawyer instinctively reached out to catch the potential home run ball, leading the umpires to call interference. The Marlins prospect was limited to a triple and the young fan had to be ejected, per league rules. But before Sawyer exited the ballpark, he got to stop in the Blue Wahoos booth and chat with broadcaster Erik Bremer. And then postgame, Thompson signed the fateful baseball and took a photo with Sawyer. Not too shabby. More ?
Nothing finer than a Jersey Diner
Somehow, Minor League teams continue to find creative new ways to rep their regions each year. In 2024, Somerset's Jersey Diners took the cake -- or the pie, rather. The Yankees' Double-A club celebrated the ubiquitous restaurants across the Garden State with diner-themed uniforms and logos. And they didn't stop there. The Patriots even put rows of booths in the ballpark so fans could truly feel like they were getting the diner experience while taking in a baseball game. The electric blue and pink design, the food-themed logos and the immersive experience helped the club earn the Best Alternate Identity at the MiLB Awards. More ?
MiLB's emotional return to Rickwood
Almost every year from 1996 to 2019, Rickwood Field hosted an annual Minor League game called the Rickwood Classic. The Birmingham Barons made their return to the country's oldest professional ballpark as part of MiLB and MLB's Tribute to the Negro Leagues. Willie Mays, who grew up about 5 miles away from the stadium and played there as a member of the Black Barons, was already at the heart of every aspect of MiLB at Rickwood on June 18. Then, it was announced following the seventh inning that Mays had passed away. Gasps turned to a teary-eyed standing ovation to honor the legendary man in his home ballpark. More ?
Lalli's a perfect match
Blake Lalli has witnessed a lot of special moments during his 18 years in Minor League Baseball, both as a player and as a coach, but likely nothing as personal as what happened on June 28. The Triple-A Reno manager and his girlfriend, Aleah Hartung, were honored as part of the club's monthly Home Run for Life game, presented by Donor Network West. Less than four months prior, Lalli donated his kidney to Hartung after beating the odds of a 1-in-100,000 chance to match. The pair ran the bases, hand-in-hand, as both Reno and the visiting Oklahoma City squad emptied their dugouts to join the celebration. More ?
Manage to make history
The 2024 season was a big one for veteran managers in the Minors. First, Single-A Myrtle Beach skipper Buddy Bailey picked up his 2,391st victory to pass Mike Kelley for third place on the all-time MiLB managerial wins list. Finishing the campaign with 2,417 career wins, Bailey is 113 behind the leader, Stan Wasiak, who managed from 1950-86, mostly in the Dodgers farm system. Also climbing up the rankings is Pat Kelly, who earned his 2,000th victory in August. The Triple-A Louisville manager is up to 2,022 on his career for 12th place all-time, and third on the active list behind Bailey and Nashville's Rick Sweet (2,353). More ?
Hello, goodbye
On July 16, the Cubs selected Cam Smith with the 14th overall pick in the Draft, and just over a month later, the 21-year-old was putting on a clinic in the Minors. Smith drilled his first professional dinger for Myrtle Beach on Aug. 20, then kept it going for a six-game home run streak. The Florida State product tallied 11 RBIs and 30 total bases down the stretch, earning a promotion to High-A South Bend. Smith's power certainly made a strong first impression and perhaps it even caught the attention of the Astros, who picked up their new No. 1 prospect as part of a deal for Kyle Tucker on Dec. 13. More ?
Bhutan meets the Hudson Valley
After a photo of baseball being played in front of the Great Buddha Dordenma went viral, High-A Hudson Valley general manager Zach Betkowski reached out to his fellow hardball fans in Bhutan. What started as an offer for free merch turned into an impactful game. The Renegades welcomed 12 Bhutanese baseball and softball players for a game on Aug. 20. The Yankees prospects donned specialty uniforms that paid tribute to the Bhutan flag, and the visiting athletes threw out the first pitch wearing a gho, a traditional robe. The Bhutanese players even got to learn how to throw a sweeper. Baseball truly is a global game. More ?
Happy trails, Joey
After spending the first 22 years of his professional career in the Reds organization, Toronto-born Joey Votto signed a Minor League contract with his native Blue Jays on March 9. The veteran first baseman battled an ankle injury and was limited to 31 games before announcing his retirement on Aug. 22. But during that time, Votto created special memories for fans across the Florida State and International Leagues. Votto's final professional homer came on Aug. 4 at Worcester. And in his final pro game on Aug. 20, Votto walked and scored a run for Buffalo, helping his team to the very end. More ?
If you can hear it, you can be it
It's not just players who earn callups to The Show. On Aug. 26, Double-A Portland broadcasters Emma Tiedemann and Rylee Pay got a taste of the bigs when they became the first female play-by-play and color analyst to call multiple innings in a Red Sox broadcast booth. The pair joined Dave O'Brien and Kevin Youkilis for the full game on NESN, but took over for the middle three innings as part of the Women's Celebration Game. The historic broadcast drew attention from not only across baseball but all sports as tennis legend Billie Jean King shared her praise online. More ?
Simpson keeps it 100
In 2023, Chandler Simpson swiped 95 bases, along with his buddy, Victor Scott II. In 2024, the Rays' No. 4 prospect took it a step further and stole 104 bags across High-A and Double-A. It marked the fourth time since 2005 that a Minor Leaguer crossed the century mark for swipes in a season with Simpson joining Billy Hamilton (2011, 2012) and Delino DeShields Jr. (2012). Simpson put himself in position to steal often, leading all full-season Minor Leaguers with 160 hits and a .355 average. And once he was on base, the 2022 Draft pick utilized his 80-grade speed to successfully steal 86 percent of the time. More ?